Liquidrom: What Spas Want To Be When They Grow Up

This week we went to Liquidrom, a giant domed warehouse turned spa thing near Mockenbrucke. The entry ticket was expensive (17,50 for 2 hours) and later we realized we should have purchased the 4 hour card for 20,50 or the day card for 22,50 as these were only slightly more expensive. Despite the steep price, the experience was worth it: a steam room, a dry sauna, and two large heated pools were up for grabs. The largest of the heated pools was underneath the dome. Whale sounds and minimalist music echoed from the speakers into the water. Colorful light displays were projected onto the walls on either side changing the water from pink to purple to blue and so on. They also had free funoodles which we made thorough use of as there were only a couple other people there (we went around 2 on a Tuesday). The warm salt water made our bodies even more buoyant. I didn't use the cold pool as much as Schnitzel did, the water being just above freezing when compared with that of the heated pool. It was also less of a pool and more of a well being about 4' x 4' with a ladder leading down into the water. It resembled one of the rooms from that movie "The Cube." The bar tenders were very nice about checking our bracelets to make sure we didn't overstay our 2 hour limit. The outdoor area was also nice, if a bit warm as it was a hot day. We had to get naked to use the sauna and the spa as well as the cold pool which was okay because not many people were there. Schnitzel was surprisingly comfortable in his birthday suit. We didn't try the massages as they were even more of an expense and the entry ticket was a splurge as it was. We will definitely try to go back during the night, maybe on a weekend when they are open until 1 am.


http://www.liquidrom-berlin.de/

$2,000 Hospital Bill For Sprained Ankle

Yet another problem with my insurance company A La Carte Health Insurance (underwritten by Allianz). While visiting my folks at home, I had an accident and injured my ankle. I thought it might only be a sprain but to make sure it wasn't something more serious like a broken bone (because I wasn't able to walk on it) I went to the emergency to have it checked out. They did some xrays and told me in the end that it was probably just a sprain but I should have an MRI to make sure. I decided to rest it and see if the MRI was really needed and it was not as I recovered in about a week. Later, I received a bill from the hospital: $2,000. This was for them to briefly examine me and take some x-rays. They said the rate was so high because of the severity of the situation. The irony is that my insurance company wrote me to tell me that they would not cover the expense as the injury did not present an "immediate risk to my health." I politely wrote them back and asked them how on Earth not being able to walk was not a risk to my health? I am currently locked in an email battle between my insurance company who needs a dozen forms filled out and the hospital who says they have to bounce my case to a collection agency because I have foreign insurance. This whole thing sucks and I have a feeling I'm going to get stuck with the bill. For anyone reading this who is considering insurance: do not go with A La Carte. Their service is terrible and in the end they stick you with a bunch of paperwork and cover very little.

Woman Marries Berlin Wall

This is interesting. And weird. And interesting:
http://www.berlinermauer.se/BerlinWall/tragedy.htm
Full explanation here: http://www.algonet.se/~giljotin/explan.html

I've heard more than a few people say they preferred things when Berlin was divided, and have heard many say the opposite as well, but I've NEVER heard of anyone going so far as to declare the wall, both seriously and passionately, is their husband.